The present invention relates to a device useful in quenching hot gases and to a method for quenching hot gases in which this device is employed.
In production facilities where chemical reactions are carried out at an elevated temperature, the gases generated during the reaction must generally be cooled for further processing if the heat from these gases is not used to generate steam. Devices which have been used to quench these gases (i.e., reduce their temperature) as they exit a reactor include metal quenching tanks and metal tanks lined with a refractory material or acid brick. However, these devices are not adequate for quenching most gases because the wall of the quenching vessel can not be cooled or shielded from the radiant heat. Consequently, the gases do not lose enough heat when passing through the vessel and the walls of the quenching vessels deteriorate. Where the gas exiting the reaction vessel is a hot acid gas, the deterioration of the quenching vessel walls is even more rapid.